The present invention relates to a support brace for providing support to the vulval and abdominal regions of a pregnant woman and for reducing or eliminating the deleterious effects of the increased body weight of pregnancy.
The additional size and weight of the fetus in a pregnancy often impact negatively on several body parts and the overall well-being of an expectant mother. Varicose veins may develop. Hemorrhoids may form. Conditions such as cystocele and rectocele may occur. The additional weight of the fetus places a strain on the lower back and may cause poor posture and back pain. Knee and hip joints may fatigue from the extra stress. Stretch marks may appear in the abdominal region. Thus there is a need for therapies and other means to alleviate or prevent these conditions.
Various types of supportive garments and girdles have been proposed to help reduce the deleterious effects of both fetal weight and additional body weight of the expectant mother. For example, Alberts U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,736 discloses a body support having both a vulval support for supporting the vulval region of the wearer and a girdle for providing beneficial support to the abdominal region. Castiglia U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,640 discloses a lower torso support appliance having both an inelastic front panel for engaging the abdominal region of the wearer and a rigid sheet-like member for engaging the lower back.
The maternity brace of the present invention improves on earlier devices of this general type in that it provides considerably more support to the abdomen of the wearer and distributes forces otherwise focused in the abdominal region to other portions of the body. The new maternity brace further provides enhanced support and greater stability to the lower back. It may be adjusted easily to fit wearers regardless of how far along they are into their pregnancies. The new brace is extremely comfortable and very lightweight, and it may be folded and stored in a small bag.
Hereinafter, the term xe2x80x9cvertical axisxe2x80x9d means an axis which extends longitudinally head-to-toe; the term xe2x80x9ctransverse axisxe2x80x9d means an axis which extends horizontally from the front to the rear of the body. The term xe2x80x9cinwardxe2x80x9d means the direction toward the body from the exterior; the term xe2x80x9coutwardxe2x80x9d means the direction away from the body. The term xe2x80x9cupwardxe2x80x9d means toward the head; the term xe2x80x9cdownwardxe2x80x9d means toward the feet.
The maternity brace of the present invention has many improvements over earlier supportive garments. It is fabricated from thinner components to provide a very thin profile, allowing it to remain comparatively inconspicuous beneath clothing. A specially integrated and designed back panel provides stability to the lower back to reduce strain thereon, in turn preventing back pain and improving posture. A specially configured and integrated flexible abdominal panel conforms to and engages the lower abdomen. When in tension, the abdominal panel applies a beneficial supporting force to the abdomen, which force is directed inward along the transverse axis of the body. Moreover, this supporting force is also directed upward along the vertical axis of the body. As a result and in accord with an important principle of the invention, the abdominal panel applies not only an inward force but also a considerable upward force to the abdomen, in turn distributing the downward forces otherwise focused in the abdominal region to other portions of the body. The particular configuration of the maternity brace directs these downward forces to the periphery of the waist, thus shifting the forces to a position closer to the center of gravity of the body in order to reduce pressure on the pelvis, increase blood circulation in the abdominal region, and reduce overall fatigue. The abdominal panel also provides beneficial support to the abdominal region by holding the abdomen more securely in place, resulting in improved posture, reduced wear in the knee and hip joints, and increased mobility for the wearer. The maternity brace is fabricated from materials that are aesthetically attractive and are available in a variety of colors to appeal to fashion conscious wearers.
At the base of the maternity brace of the present invention is a specially configured vulval panel sufficiently wide to embrace the vulval region comfortably without irritating the vagina. The vulval panel engages the labia majora without entering therebetween while providing support to the vulval region. A pair of fabric front straps and a pair of fabric rear straps are attached to the vulval panel. The front and rear straps extend out from the vulval panel, forming an X-configuration which adapts and conforms to the specific anatomy of the wearer. A body-encircling adjusting belt is connected to the front and rear straps for securing the straps and for applying an upward force to the straps when the brace is worn. As a result, tension in each strap causes the straps to apply an upward force to the vulval panel.
The adjusting belt has locking means in its front section for opening and closing the belt to facilitate putting on and removing the maternity brace. The adjusting belt also has an adjustable effective length to accommodate the girths of many different wearers and to adjust the tension in the belt. A mechanical clasp is a preferred locking means. The adjusting belt wraps around the body along the region of the upper abdomen in order to rest securely on the body and anchor the front and rear straps.
Each of the two front straps is long enough to wrap around the front section of the adjusting belt and connect back to itself when the maternity brace is worn. Each of the two rear straps is long enough to wrap around the back section of the adjusting belt, then return to a front strap. The rear straps cross each other along the outward surface of the vulval panel. This crisscross configuration supplements the support to the vulval region. The front and rear straps have adjustable effective lengths to accommodate the anatomy of different users and are stretchable in one dimension (lengthwise) for conforming tightly to the body when the straps are in tension, whether the wearer is walking or standing still.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an abdominal panel positioned between the two front straps applies inward and upward supporting forces to the abdomen of the wearer. Thus the abdominal panel helps to distribute downward forces exerted by the fetus in the abdominal region to other portions of the body, effectively shifting those forces to a position closer to the center of gravity of the body. The abdominal panel is fabricated from a flexible material, causing its shape to adapt to the contours of the abdomen. This material has some elasticity and is stretchable in two dimensions to conform tightly to the abdomen. The abdominal panel is removable from the brace, allowing the wearer to use the brace as a vulval support when additional abdominal support is not desired.
The maternity brace advantageously has a back panel positioned along the back section of the body-encircling adjusting belt. The back panel is wider than the adjusting belt and is provided with a lining material, e.g., padding, where it contacts the back of the wearer for enhanced comfort. The back panel helps to stabilize and to ease pressure on the lower back. The back panel is advantageously removably secured to the adjusting belt.
In an alternate preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the two rear straps has upper and lower segments that are angularly displaced from each other. This nonlinearity changes the position of each rear strap on the body of the wearer, resulting in enhanced comfort and increased support. For example, when the rear straps are positioned along the sides of the body, they provide increased lateral support. Similarly, in this embodiment each of the two front straps advantageously has upper and lower segments angularly displaced from each other for added comfort and support.